Intel launches $99 MinnowBoard Max

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The Raspberry Pi has earned a place in the collective heart of the modding and DIY community as an open and affordable single-board computer (SBC). The only problem with the $25-35 Pi is that it doesn’t pack a lot of power and is based on the ARM architecture, both of which limit its usefulness. Intel has just announced the second iteration of its own x86-based SBC called the MinnowBoard Max, and it could be exactly what the discerning micro-PC junkie needs.

This version of the MinnowBoard makes significant strides over the last version, which came out last summer for $199. That’s a big jump over the super-affordable Raspberry Pi, but the MinnowBoard Max drops the price to $99 while also improving the hardware. The board has been scaled down from 4.2 x 4.2-inches to just 3.9-inches square. Just for reference, the Raspberry Pi is 3.37 x 2.21-inches.

This version of Intel’s micro-computer runs on an Atom E3800 (Bay Trail-I). This is a full system-on-a-chip with a storage controller and Intel HD 400 graphics, which makes it considerably more powerful and efficient than the E640 used in the last version. This is also one of the few 64-bit SBCs you can buy. There is out-of-the-box support for Android 4.4 and Linux operating systems.

The MinnowBoard project is a collaboration between CircuitCo and Intel aimed at the enthusiast market, but the goal isn’t to compete directly with inexpensive the Raspberry Pi. After all, MinnowBoard is Intel’s first foray into the world of open hacker SBCs. CircuitCo (which actually produces the boards) will be selling the MinnowBoard Max in several configurations soon. The $99 version is the entry-level option with a single-core Atom and 1GB of RAM, but a $129 dual-core version with 2GB or RAM is going to be available at launch too.